Voices of Freedom & Justice: An Evening of Spoken Word Poetry

From the cultural expression of Langston Hughes to the Beat Poets of the 1950s to modern rap and hip-hop music, performance poetry follows the trend of rhythmic engagement with listeners. As the name suggests, performance poems are meant to be spoken aloud with expression and movement that reflect their meaning. Beneath the tourism and theme park industries magnetized by year-round great weather in Central Florida lies a hyper talented, yet seldom seen in traditional spaces, cohort of performance poets. These wordsmiths, also referred to as spoken word artists, will join Orlando’s Poet Laureate, Shawn Welcome, and emerging local high school talents for a rarely seen and heard 90-minute interactive showcase that will solidify anyone’s definition of spoken word poetry.

The experience will conclude a weeklong spoken word residency by Shawn Welcome, who will have facilitated performance poetry workshops for high school and college students across central Florida, providing a free writing space, introducing the intricacies of performance, spoken word technique, and presentation. The concluding show on February 11th will amplify creative voices as it relates to justice, self-identity, and other social issues worthy of an artistic response.